The Four
by Morwenea
Summary: four best friends become goddesses; two for the good, two for the bad. in their efforts to outdo each other, they spark a war. will their friendship be rekindled? or will they remain enemies forever? created by amy.


a/n- 3 friends, ser and i came up with this really neat idea. we r gonna make up a story about them kinda based on greek mythology. not the same stories, but...i dunno. just r/r!  
  
many, many, MANY thanks to Kayte, who wrote most of this chapter ! ^_^  
  
* * *  
  
The world always looked so serene from above, so deserted. Up close, the planet was a wave of textures, sounds, smells to such degrees that they practically overwhelmed those unused to her intensity. But from miles above, the edges of the planet softened by the gauze of the clouds, the planet was perfection; a swirl of lively green, blue and white. There was no individuality or conflict. Just a globe.  
  
Morning had just spread over the Goddess' realm, golden fingers of sunlight poking through the permanently frosted windows, though the new light had no affect on the Four. They had already been awake for hours, nestled into their appropriate corners, desks strewn with papers of varying importance and age.  
  
Astira, who had appointed herself an area parallel to the massive bay window, glanced up in annoyance towards it. The sun glared with unbridled brilliance, casting a dark silhouette of the slight woman over the papers on her table. Shading her eyes with her long-fingered hand, she asked in her feather-soft voice, "Rilana, mind drawing the drapes for me?"  
  
Rilana's brow knit in concentration, her quill sculpting a few scratchy words over the parchment under her fingers. Without warning, she emitted a guttural noise of annoyance. The dark-haired woman scraped her elegant, talon-like fingernails over the mahogany surface of her desk in a vain attempt to control herself, but only managed in restraining for a moment the ultimate demise of the paper.  
  
When, half a minute later, she was satisfied with the amount of tiny shreds of what was once a rather important report now adorning her desk like newly fallen snow, she snapped in reply; "Do it yourself! Or are you too busy with your irrelevant un-evil-doing that you can't even cross the room?"  
  
Astira stared for several moments at her longtime palace-mate, emerald eyes shimmering with concentration. She stood, a wave of green hair flipping out behind her as she crossed the threshold. Quickly, she tugged the pale curtains over the massive window, stifling the relentless attack of the warm sunlight.  
  
"Now I can't see," complained Morannon from the opposite side of the room. "You just do that to annoy me, don't you?"  
  
"Do what?" retorted Astira in exasperation. She sighed, sliding a trembling hand down the lightly waved hair falling from her head like a waterfall, and squared her shoulders. "How about I light a candle?"  
  
"A candle won't be bright enough to light the whole room!" whined Morannon.  
  
"Well, I'll get you a candle and then you'll have enough to light your workspace."  
  
"Fine." Morannon snapped.  
  
Astira simply rolled her eyes, fluttered her jade wings irritably, and fetched her a candle. Rilana returned to attempting to write out a suitable report. The room finally settled into silence as the three worked. Until another girl walked into the room, of course.  
  
"Why do you have the drapes closed on such a beautiful day?" asked the girl. She was slightly shorter than the rest, with light blonde hair and blue eyes. Her long wings matched her dress, which was a pure, sparkling white. She walked over and opened the curtains.  
  
"I couldn't see because the light was too bright, Sabriel. I'm finished with these papers for now, though, so they can be opened back up." Astira replied, picking up her papers and standing up. She stretched, her arms arching over her head and her wings spreading out to their full length, then walked out of the study and left down the hall.  
  
Sabriel walked over to the bay window, opened the pale curtains, and sat down. Rilana stood and straightened her black dress. It's long sleeves completely covered her hands. A thin, cord-like belt circled her waist, with a ruby hanging from the end of one cord. She walked through the large mahogany doors and entered a firelit corridor.  
  
The stone floor was covered with a velvet black carpet. She turned right and continued down the hall. Soon reaching a spiral staircase, she descended. Upon reaching the landing, she continued down the slightly chilly corridor. The carpet was now fiery crimson, Rilana's favorite color. She soon reached a large oak door. Pushing it open, she entered her room. A fire crackled on the right wall, the only source of light, other than the small window opposite the door.  
  
She walked over to a miniature set of scales on a small oak desk under the window. One side held a black weight; the other a white. Rilana controlled the amount of physical forces the evil world had; the black weight. It was a difficult job, but one that was not very time comsuming. Sabriel controlled the same thing for the good side.  
  
Rilana bent over the scale and peered closely at its center. A triumphant grin played at the corners of her mouth when she saw that her side was slightly stronger than Sabriel's. She swept back her long ebony hair-fiery red at the ends-as it fell like a silken waterfall over her pale ivory skin and frowned. No doubt, as soon as Sabriel saw it, the tables would be turned. Or rather, the scales. She clenched the edge of the desk, digging her claw-like nails into the desk in an effort to restrain herself. *Drat it that she is always meeting and outdoing whatever I do! I wish she would just...*  
  
A soft knock on the door kept her from elaborating upon whatever it was she was thinking. "Yeah, what?" she said irritably. Morannon walked in and closed the door softly behind her.  
  
"Have you seen the scales?" she asked. Her voice, though cold, chimed like silver bells.  
  
"What does it look like I'm doing? Anyway, things seem to be slightly in our favor. For a change," Rilana added sarcastically.  
  
Morannon shook her head, "The magic force is a lot stronger for the good. I have Seen that a child was born, possessing a great magical ability. He is of the good side, but his future has the chance of another path. Perhaps we should do a little meddling."  
  
Rilana laughed inwardly. Morannon got ideas a lot, but they were rarely good ones. This was an exception. "You know, that's actually a good idea."  
  
"Isn't it though?" Morannon replied. She arched her blue wings over her head and put her shoulders back and chin up. "Darkness will reign and we will dominate!" she said boldy.  
  
Rilana rolled her eyes at her friend's non-evil side, shifting her own fiery wings in annoyance. "Quit acting like that. Come on, we've got work to do," she said menacingly.  
  
* * *  
  
Kisawa was walking past the open study door, while poring over the dusty pages of an age-old book. But, with her sharp eyesight, she never missed anything. She soon backed up and gazed intently into the study. Her hazel eyes narrowed in slight annoyance when she saw that only one of her pupils was actually working.  
  
"Sabriel, where are the others?" she asked. Her voice was stern, but melodic. She fluttered her wings irritatedly and crossed her arms.  
  
"Well, Astira left when I opened the curtains, because the sun was blinding her, then Rilana left to finish something in her room, and Morannon has gone to check the scales." Sabriel replied, looking over at Kisawa with light blue eyes.  
  
Kisawa sighed. "Very well. If you see any of them, inform them that the servants will soon have breakfast ready, and they should let them know where they would like it served," she said, walking out of the room.  
  
* * *  
  
Astira sighed as she looked up from her desk. It was just too difficult to get any work done with all of these servants around. Just moments before, a knock had sounded at her door.  
  
"Come in." she called out. A small girl walked in, clothed in a red long- sleeved dress that had a large, silver pendant attached just below her right shoulder.  
  
"Um, pardon me for intruding, Miss, but the Head of Kitchens has told me to ask you where you would like your breakfast served." she asked timidly.  
  
"I would just like bread and fruit this morning, please, and you can just set them on my desk." Astira said.  
  
"Thank you, Miss." she said, bowing. She then left, and softly closed the door behind her.  
  
Astira sighed. *I'm not going to get anything else done. I may as well just go Gaze for a while.* She stood up and straightened her dress, and was just leaving when she saw it. The scales- they were way off balance!  
  
She gazed disbelievingly at them for a few moments. There was no way the good side could gain all of that power overnight! "I'll just have to do a little investigating and find out what's up.....before Morannon." she said, leaving her room. She turned right and continued down the hall. The carpet was emerald velvet- Astira's favorite color. She reached a white velvet carpeted staircase and descended. She passed the study where she could see Sabriel, working intently. She looked up as she heard Astira pass.  
  
"Hey, where you going in such a hurry?" she asked.  
  
"I'm going to Gaze for a few minutes before breakfast." replied Astira hurriedly.  
  
* * *  
  
a/n- wut didja think? sry 2 stop it there, i really wanna post. r/r pleeze! thanx 2 kayte 4 writing the beginning and ser 4 helping me w/.....a lotta stuff. 


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